


My Friend Is a Ghost

by RoseyR



Category: South Park
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Never Met, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Coming Out, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Drama, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Ghost Tweek Tweak, Ghosts, Growing Up, Growing Up Together, M/M, POV Craig Tucker, Prom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23209873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseyR/pseuds/RoseyR
Summary: Craig Tucker never believed in ghost, he especially didn't believe in the story of the ghost that lives near the abandoned railroad tracks. So when his friends thought it would be a good idea to go check if the ghost was real or not, he never expected that he would meet the ghost, let alone become friends with them.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak
Comments: 8
Kudos: 67





	My Friend Is a Ghost

There once was a story about a kid who died near the train tracks. No one knows how it happened. Some say it was an accident. Some say the kid was irresponsible and played around the track without listening to anyone. Some say the kid was playing with friends, and one of them accidentally pushed, just as the train was about to come. Finally, some say that the kid was murdered on those tracks, but police couldn’t determine if it was murder since the train came just as the kid died.

Rumors spread and there wasn't a definite answer as to what happened to the kid. All they knew was that the kid was around seventeen year old male, his parents had no idea where he went that day, and no one seemed to know why he was at the train tracks. Even when asking the people who were the kid’s friends, they couldn’t say a thing, and police couldn’t determine if they were hiding something, or if they really didn’t know anything.

Years passed, and the parents moved away, too distraught about the death of their child. Many of the kid’s friends moved on and left the town they grew up in. The tracks themselves were eventually closed down because of the rumors, so the railroad tracks decided to take a different route, and were no longer going on those tracks. Eventually, everyone in the town has forgotten about the kid, and no one could really determine the truth of how the kid died.

Yet...there were still rumors. There were still stories about the kid and his death. Some have made up haunted stories about him, saying that the kid would sometimes appear on those tracks, scaring anyone that dared to show themselves near those tracks. Some even said that anyone who went near the tracks were never seen again because they were taken by the angry ghost of the kid who haunts those tracks.

“And that’s why we’re going near those tracks and check to see if a ghost really is there or not.”

“.....What?”

It was lunchtime and me, my friends, Clyde, Token, and Jimmy were all having a peaceful time...until Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny showed up and started bugging us at our table.

“Sorry, Cartman wouldn’t shut up about wanting to find ghosts because he thought if he could make money out of this, we’d be rich,” Kyle sighed.

“Believe us, we tried stopping him,” Stan said.

“Okay...but why are you asking us to join you guys?” Token asked.

“Because if we’re going to make this more believable and entertaining for our viewers, we need the best equipment and people to work on this. Craig, you got a video camera, right?”

“No,” I said immediately.

“Oh come on, dude!” Cartman frowned.

“I am not lending you my camera. Remember how I let you borrow my bike last month? You assholes let it get stolen by an older kid,” I said.

“It was an accident,” Cartman said.

“Kenny literally told me that the older kid paid you to take my bike,” I said.

“Kenny!” Cartman shouted.

“Sorry, it was against my better judgement...besides...you didn’t even share the money with us,” Kenny said.

“Ugh, come on Craig, we really need that camera to get some evidence!” Cartman said.

“No way. My grandma gave me that camera for my birthday, and I am not letting you use it for something that is obviously not real and is stupid,” I said.

“Well if it’s stupid, than we should all make sure it’s not real, right?” Cartman said.

I frowned, but Clyde was the first to speak, “you know Craig, that story has been around for a long time, even when we were babies. Maybe...it would be nice to see if this ghost really exists or not...just to calm our nerves,” Clyde said.

“Clyde, you cry whenever you watch Casper, so how would you be okay if we saw a ghost?” I asked.

“I-I-I don’t know Craig, it w-w-would be nice t-t-to finally p-p-put this story a-a-at rest,” Jimmy said.

“Yeah, Jimmy got it right. Besides, don’t you want to be one of the first fewest ten years olds to see whether or not a ghost exists and give this story of a ghost a rest?” Cartman asked.

“No,” I said before taking a bite of my sandwich.

“Come on, Craig. We really need your camera,” Cartman said.

“I don’t care. I don’t want to be involved in your stupid ghost hunting investigation, I don’t want to find a ghost that probably doesn’t exist, and all I want to do is stay home and watch Red Racer with Stripe,” I said.

“I’m with Craig on this, it seems kinda silly to think a ghost actually exists. Besides, didn’t the story say that the ghost comes out at night. Our parents would be mad if we leave the house when it’s our bed time,” Token said.

“Thank you,” I sighed, taking another bite of my sandwich. I was already done with Cartman and his stupid plan.

“Okay fine, you wanna know why I’m obsessed with doing this?”

“No,” I said.

“Okay, I’ll tell you!” Cartman exclaimed. I sighed, rolling my eyes. “So the middle school kids are planning to give us a hundred dollars if we can prove the ghost exists or not,” Cartman said.

I paused for a second, “a hundred dollars...total...for all of us?” I asked.

Cartman then smirked, “nope...a hundred dollars...each,” Cartman said.

My eyes widened.

“Yeah...it’s actually why we didn’t really go that far in stopping Cartman,” Kyle said.

“A hundred bucks is a lot of money for a bunch of ten year olds,” Stan said.

“God knows what I could do with a hundred bucks! I could probably get that teddy bear for Karen,” Kenny said.

“W-w-w-wait, h-how did a b-b-bunch of m-middle school k-k-kids g-g-get a hundred b-b-bucks f-f-from?” Jimmy asked.

“Said they stole it from their parents,” Cartman said. “Well, Craig?” Cartman asked.

“Come on, Craig. We both know this is stupid,” Token said.

“Of course you wouldn’t be interested since you’re already rich,” Cartman said.

“That’s not why at all!” Token exclaimed.

“Sure it isn’t,” Cartman said.

“It isn’t! I just don’t want us to get in trouble if our parents find out!” Token exclaimed.

“Uh huh,” Cartman said.

“It’s true!” Token exclaimed.

“Sure...Mr. Rich Kid,” Cartman snickered.

“Ugh! Fine! I’ll do it!” Token frowned.

“Sweet. And you, Craig?”

“....Just...how exactly are we supposed to escape our houses?” I asked.

“Easy,” Cartman said. “We do it at midnight, when our parents are sleeping. It was said the ghost appears at midnight anyways, so it’ll be perfect,” Cartman said.

“But...not all of our parents sleep exactly at midnight,” Clyde said.

“Don’t worry, I heard the ghost only leaves by three in the morning, so just leave until your parents are asleep, then heading towards the train tracks before three,” Cartman said.

“Well...my dad does go to sleep before three,” Clyde said.

“Same here.”

“Me too.”

Everyone was in agreement. Everyone’s parents would be asleep before three, giving us enough time to head to the abandoned railroad tracks and finding this mysterious ghost.

“Alright boys, so here’s the plan,” Cartman began.

We all listened to him and his plan for tonight. I wasn’t really sure about all of this still, but hey...a hundred bucks? How could I pass free money?

Besides, ghosts aren’t real, so this will be quick and easy money.

* * *

Around one in the morning, I sneaked out of my house while my parents were asleep. I got on my bike and started heading towards the abandoned railroad tracks. Once I got there, I saw the other guys were there, waiting.

I got off of my bike and walked over, but stopped when I saw Butters with everyone. “Why is Butters here?”

“I asked him to come,” Cartman said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because we need someone to act as bait just in case. The ghost always goes for the small, innocent looking kids,” Cartman said.

“H-he does?” Clyde asked.

“Butters, are you really okay with this?” Kyle asked.

“I sure am! I love being helpful to you fellas...and well...I did kinda felt left out when you fellas were talking about your plan and stuff,” Butters said.

“Well Butters, thank you for your contribution. If you live, you’ll definitely be getting a hundred bucks out of this,” Cartman said, “now...let’s start looking for ghosts! Craig, got your camera?”

I sighed as I took out my camera from my bag, “here. Just be careful with it.”

Cartman took my camera from my hands and turned it on. He grinned as he looked through it. “Hundred bucks, here we come!”

“Tell me again how a normal camera is supposed to capture a ghost? Don’t we need like...special ghost equipment for any of this to actually work?” Stan asked.

“Cameras are fine at catching ghosts, Stan, especially since cameras capture everything,” Cartman said.

“But shouldn’t we also have some ghost equipment, like in those ghost hunting shows?” Clyde asked.

“We can’t afford all that equipment, especially since we’re like ten years old,” Cartman huffed, “now shut up and start listening for anything strange. Butters, start walking ahead of us, if the ghost is going to come after one of us, you’ll be the first one it’ll try to get.”

“Oh...uh...okay!” Butters walked up ahead of us. I’m not sure if he was being stupid, brave, or that desperate in trying to be everyone’s friend.

We started walking down the railroad tracks, using flashlights to light the way since it was pretty dark. The moon was being covered by clouds, making it really hard to see without much moonlight.

“Heh...a hundred bucks, here we come,” Cartman chuckled under his breath.

I stared at him as he played with my camera, and I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. “Don’t mess with my camera, Cartman. If you break it, you are paying me back for any damages,” I said.

“Well once we get a hundred bucks for each of us, you can easily buy a new camera,” Cartman said.

“If we actually capture anything around here,” I sighed.

“How much longer do we have to walk anyways? I’m starting to get cold,” Token said.

“Just until we reach the tunnel. It’s said that the ghost is usually spotted there,” Cartman said.

“For the last time, there’s no such thing as ghosts,” I sighed, “we’re just wasting our time here,” I said.

“You won’t be saying that when we get paid a hundred bucks, Craig,” Cartman said.

“Are we really sure those middle school kids will even give us a hundred bucks each? I feel like they’re just messing with us since...well...they’re middle school kids,” Kenny said.

“Those middle school kids better give us a hundred bucks after this, otherwise, I’ll-”

“Er...fellas? I don’t mean to interrupt or anything, but uh...we’re here,” Butters said.

We all stopped and looked ahead. It was the tunnel. Everyone became tense when they saw the tunnel. Ever since the tracks were abandoned and no train came by, the tunnels were left to gather dust and decay. It was so dark in the tunnel, no one was sure if anything was in there at the very moment.

“....Alright Butters...go on in there,” Cartman said.

“W-w-what?” Butters squeaked, getting visibly scared.

“You heard me, go in there and lure the ghost out,” Cartman said.

“B-b-but...it’s scary in there...c-couldn’t I just stand near the entrance and have the ghost come out on its own that way?” Butters asked.

“No. Everyone knows that the ghost will really come out if someone enters the place where he was killed,” Cartman said.

“Are you serious right now?” I sighed.

“Y-y-yeah, h-how many w-w-ways a-a-are there t-t-t-to get the g-g-g-g-ghost out?” Jimmy asked.

“I don’t know, the middle school kids were the ones who told me out to bring the ghost out, and one of them said that someone had to go in the tunnel and lure it out,” Cartman said.

“Oh come on! Those middle school kids were messing with you! First they said that someone innocent and small has to go near the area it died, and now you’re saying the ghost died in a tunnel and someone has to go in to lure it out!? This is all stupid!” I huffed, “I bet they weren’t even planning on giving us a hundred dollars! They were probably trying to scare us since we’re little kids,” I said.

“Nuh uh! They are totally giving us a hundred dollars, but I might as well get two hundred since you aren’t being a team player!”

“Team player!? What team? All you’re doing is making us walk around in the middle of the night in the dark, trying to find a ghost that doesn’t exist! Not only that, but I bet you brought all of us here just to make us bait! You were probably planning to take all the money for yourself, if there really was any money behind this!” I exclaimed.

Everyone soon started arguing with Cartman, realizing that this was all a hoax and they were tricked to come here. Cartman fought back, exclaiming that this wasn’t a trick and that there really was a ghost, but eventually, he told us the truth.

“Okay! Fine! It was a trick!” Cartman frowned, “the middle school kids said they’d give me a hundred bucks if I could scare all of you guys into thinking there is a ghost here,” Cartman said.

“What!?” Kyle exclaimed, “so we all aren’t getting a hundred dollars each, and you only brought us here to scare us!?”

“Pretty much, yeah,” Cartman said, crossing his arms.

“You...you...you fat ass!” Kyle shouted before lunging at Cartman. The moment Kyle lunged at him, Cartman let go of my camera, and I watched as it flew out of his hand and landed on the ground, hard.

“My camera!” I exclaimed, “Cartman, you are definitely paying me back for my camera if it has one single scratch on it!” I exclaimed.

“Ow! Get off of me!” Cartman shouted as he continued to shove and fight with Kyle, the others continued to shout at Cartman for tricking us.

I sighed and started walking over to get my camera. It landed where Butters was, who was just standing there, staring at the tunnel. I walked over and picked up my camera, glad it wasn’t broken, a couple of scuff marks here and there, but it was still okay.

“Come on, Butters. This was a waste of time. We should just go home and go back to bed,” I said.

“.....”

“Butters?” I looked at him, wondering why he wasn’t saying anything. “Dude, what are you staring at?” I asked.

“T...t...t…” Butters raised his shaking hand, pointing at the direction of the tunnel, “t..that…”

“....” I turned my head. From the distance, I noticed someone standing by the entrance. It looked like a guy, but he was far away for me to be able to see clearly. “....Who’s that?” I stood up, holding my camera in my arm. The others were still busy arguing and fighting, while Butters and I stared at the tunnel, noticing the guy wasn’t moving or anything.

Suddenly, my camera starts making a weird noise, startling both Butters and I. We both looked at each other, looked at the guy, then looked at my camera. There was static on the screen, and it was acting weird, something I never seen before.

“Is this thing broken?” I muttered as I started hitting the side of it. I noticed on the screen, the figure was standing at the tunnel, but when the screen went to static for a second, the figure suddenly moved. They kept moving until it looked like they were getting closer to...us. “What the?”

“C-Craig?” Butters grabbed my sleeve and started pulling it.

“What is….” I noticed feet in front of us, but they weren’t touching the ground, but instead...floating..and have a green-yellow glow to them. I felt my heart pounding as I slowly looked up, seeing a guy who looked to be a teenager standing before us, but his face...it looked...dead.

My eyes widened and I dropped my camera. Both Butters and I took a step back, realizing that what was in front of us was none other than the ghost. His eyes were closed, but slowly they started to open. There were no pupils, just pure white, but we could tell it was staring at us.

“R...run….run. Run!” I shouted. I turned and started running.

“Wah!” Butters cried out as he started running.

“Go go go! Everyone run!” I shouted.

Everyone stopped arguing and looked back, their eyes widened when they saw the ghost behind us.

“It’s the ghost!” Everyone screamed. They all started running.

“Wait! We need to capture this! This will totally make us a ton of-”

“Cartman, shut up and start running unless you want to be killed by the ghost!” Kyle exclaimed.

“Ah! I want my mommy!” Clyde screamed.

“Just keep running, don’t look back!” I shouted. Everyone was ahead of me and we were getting closer to our bikes. I noticed the ghost was still on our tail and was catching up. “Run faster before it-” I accidentally tripped on stone and fell to the ground, scrapping my knees. “Ow!”

“Craig!” Clyde exclaimed.

“Leave him! The ghost will feed off of his body and give us time to escape!” Cartman exclaimed.

“That’s messed up, Cartman!” Token exclaimed.

“Tell me about it later while we’re escaping with our lives!” Cartman shouted as he started pushing the others along.

“Craig!” Clyde, Token, and Jimmy exclaimed.

“Wait! Don’t leave!” I shouted. I tried to stand up, but I fell back when I realized I also twisted my foot when running. “Ow...ow….” I hissed in pain as I clutched my leg.

The air got cold and a shiver went down my spine. I looked up, only to see the ghost floating above me, staring. I was trembling in fear, not sure what the ghost was going to do. I didn’t think I’d actually die from a real life ghost, of all things, it had to be a ghost.

“Please...don’t eat me or take my soul...or...whatever ghosts do,” I begged. I closed my eyes as the ghost got closer and closer, its white eyes staring at me. I waited for what was going to happen, but so far...nothing. “....Well? You gonna do something?” I asked, still shaking. I opened one eye and noticed that my camera was in front of my face. “My...camera?” I muttered. I looked up and saw that the ghost was handing me back my camera. “Uh...thanks?” I said as I carefully took my camera back while keeping a close eye on the ghost.

The ghost, to my surprise, then took a step back. He seemed to be looking at my injured foot, which was now red and swollen. The ghost, examining my foot, then looked at me before. Before I knew it, the ghost then started lifting me up in the air.

“H-hey! Put me down!” I exclaimed. I kicked and flailed my arms and legs, trying to get back to the ground, but moving my leg became painful, so I ended up stopping. “Put me down you stupid ghost!” I exclaimed, “I’ll have you know, my dad will kick your-” I suddenly found myself in the ghost’s arm as he started carrying me towards where my bike is. “....Are you...helping me go home?” I asked.

“.....” The ghost doesn’t say it, but he nodded his head.

“....Why?” I asked. Was he going to eat my family if he finds my house?

“....I feel bad...for scaring you and causing you to fall and hurt your foot,” the ghost said.

“What?” I was shocked. I didn’t even think the ghost could talk.

“....What were you and your friends doing here at this hour?” The ghost said, his voice was very quiet, he was almost whispering.

“....It was Cartman’s idea, the fat kid,” I said, “he tricked us to come here just so he could record us getting scared and show it to some older kids,” I said.

“Hm...well he and everyone else got scared, so he sorta got what he wanted,” the ghost said.

“...I guess,” I said. Thinking about it, it was kinda funny seeing Cartman looking scared and running as fast as he could. I couldn’t wait to see him tomorrow and just beat him up for making everyone leave me behind.

“Sorry if this is...embarrassing for you, but with your leg...it’s best that I take you home. Do you live far?”

“No, not too far, I just live towards the left over there, just keep going straight down,” I said, but I was confused, “I’m surprised you can leave. Aren’t ghosts supposed to be stuck in the place they died?” I asked.

“Technically yes...but...I died on the train tracks...which is pretty much outside...and it’s not like I’m resentful against the train company or the tracks,” the ghost said.

“....Hey...ghost guy...how exactly did you die? There’s so many stories about you, and yet no one seems to know how you died exactly,” I said.

“....Well...the cause of my death was...my fault.”

“Huh?”

“....I didn’t have any friends...everyone thought I was strange...and I felt so alone. So...I would come to the train tracks...since I like trains and I liked walking on the tracks for fun. But one day...it was really cold and windy, I was at the track and I guess my shoelaces were untied. They got stuck between the train tracks and I fell, getting my foot stuck completely. I tried to get out, I tried to call for help, but the train was coming and there was no way for me to escape in time. In the end...I died because...I was being stupid,” the ghost said.

“....Man...that sucks,” I said, almost feeling bad for him.

The ghost sighed, I noticed his eyes weren’t completely white anymore, so I could see his pupils. His eyes were a nice shade of green. “I’ve accepted my death...well...I guess not completely since I’m stuck here...alone...and everyone is terrified of me, so they never come near the tracks,” the ghost said.

“.....” As the ghost was carrying me home, my bike following behind him, I couldn’t help but feel confused, scared, and even sad. I guess the ghost was lonely for a long time, no wonder he got so angry looking earlier, he must have thought we came to make fun of him or something. “....Um...my name is Craig...I’m ten years old, and go to South Park Elementary. What’s your name?” I asked, my heart was beating fast.

The ghost looked at me in surprise, but he then had a small smile as he looked ahead, still carrying me home. He seemed happy that someone actually asked him a simple question like that. He must have been really lonely this entire time.

“My name is Tweek.”

* * *

Of course, hiding the fact that my foot was swollen and I was limping as I walked was something I couldn’t hide, so my mom eventually found out what happened. I did try lying, but mom was really good at seeking lies, so I didn’t have a chance. I ended up getting grounded, and after mom called the other moms, it seems the guys also got grounded.

Hmph, serves Cartman right for leaving me.

I ended up staying at home from school after seeing the doctor for my foot. It would heal after a few days, but it would be best to not walk around too much until the swelling went down.

So here I was, grounded, but hey...at least I didn’t have to go to school, so that was a plus.

“Craig, since you can’t walk for a while, I want you to stay home and do not go outside, got it? I’ll be going out for a few errands as well as picking up your sister later,” mom said

“Okay, mom,” I said.

“Good,” mom said, “if you’re hungry, there are some granola bars in the pantry. Be good,” mom then left.

Once she was gone, I just sat on the couch, reading a magazine, but I eventually put it down and walked over to the window to make sure she was gone. When I didn’t see her car, I rushed towards the kitchen, grabbed the granola bars, and rushed upstairs to my room. I went inside and walked towards the closet, opening it slowly.

“Tweek, you can come out now,” I said. “My mom is gone.”

After a few seconds, a head suddenly appeared from behind my clothes and Tweek showed himself. 

“I still don’t see why I need to hide in here, I am a ghost, and ghosts can technically turn invisible,” Tweek said.

“Well you never said anything, and it was late. I was too tired to really have a clear plan on what to do here,” I said before I took out a granola bar and handed it to him, “here, I got you something.”

Tweek looked at it before he gave me a small smile, “thank you, but ghosts can’t eat. All that granola bar will do is go through me,” Tweek said.

“Oh…” I said. I just sat down on the floor, opened the wrapping and started eating the granola bar myself. “Hm...if you can’t eat...does that also mean you can't sleep?” I asked.

“Not really,” Tweek said, “sleep is kinda pointless, especially since I can see right through my eyelids,” Tweek chuckled. He then sat down and started looking around my room, “nice room, kid. Very...blue,” Tweek said.

“You don’t have to lie, I know it’s pretty simple and boring,” I said.

“Maybe a little. Back when I was your age, my room was sorta like yours, except I would decorate it with trains, models, and posters. Ever thought of putting posters around?” Tweek asked.

I thought about it, “I don’t know...what kinda posters should I get?” I asked.

“Um...well...what is it you like?”

“Well...I like Red Racer, I also like guinea pigs, movies, and...oh! I also like space,” I said.

Tweek smiled, “then maybe you can make your room more...space theme than...just...blue,” Tweek chuckled.

I nodded, “Okay...I’ll think about it,” I said.

Tweek smiled, but he then had a sad look on his face, “may I ask...why did you tell me to stay here last night? I brought you home, so there’s no need for me to stay,” Tweek said. “I bet you don’t even want a ghost living in your closet.”

“....Well...I know I don’t know much about ghosts...I even didn’t believe in them until I met you last night...and I still don’t really know why I asked you to stay...but…” I shrugged, “I just thought you’d like some company for the night...even if I was technically sleeping and you were…” I suddenly realized something, “you didn’t...watch me while I was sleeping...did you? because mom says people who watch people sleeping are considered weirdos and perverts,” I said. Though...I wasn’t really sure what she meant by that.

Tweek’s eyes widened and to my surprise, his cheeks went red, something I didn’t think ghosts could do. “I wasn’t watching you sleep! I just hid in your room like you told me to! I would never watch anyone sleep! Even if I was awake the whole night! I’m not a weirdo! I swear!” Tweek exclaimed.

I stared at him blankly, “are all teenagers this spastic, or is that just with teenage ghosts?” I wondered.

Tweek sighed, looking down in embarrassment, “it’s probably just me...I’m not really good with...talking...especially to new people,” Tweek said.

“Well you don’t have to try so hard, dude. I am only ten,” I sighed before finishing my granola bar.

“It doesn’t matter how young you are, when you turn my age, everything is so...awkward! People become more sensitive, you start having new thoughts, and you go through this thing called puberty. It’s awful and stressful!” Tweek exclaimed.

“Puberty?” I asked.

“....You’ll...find out about it later,” Tweek sighed.

“Jesus...you make growing up sound awful,” I sighed, “that’s why...I hate the idea of growing up.”

Tweek looked at me in surprise, “Craig, you can’t not grow up. Everyone has to grow up, even if they don’t want to. It’s just how things are,” Tweek said, “sure...there will be bad times, changes with your body, and you start developing new interests and feelings...but...it’s not all bad,” Tweek said.

“....Did some good things happen for you? Well...before you died?” I asked.

Tweek looked at me before looking down, deep in though. His face scrunched up more and more as he thought about it, as if remembering a lot of terrible things that happened to him. His eyes widened and he had a small smile on his face.

“It’s...not much...but I remember...how my dad used to teach me how to drive. I didn’t do good at it, but it was...fun...I felt in control...and it was one of the few times me and dad got to hang out and spend time together,” Tweek said.

“He didn’t hang out with you a lot?” I asked.

Tweek shook his head, “he’s been busy with work. I used to think he liked working more than spending time with me and mom...but...now that I thought about it...I realized that...he was working hard just to keep me and mom healthy, fed, and have a roof above our heads. So...I can’t really stay mad at him for not being able to spend time with me,” Tweek said.

“....I remember...hearing a story about your parents...being sad when they lost you. They ended up moving since they couldn’t handle the fact you were dead,” I said.

“....I see…” Tweek said, “did anyone say how they looked?”

“It was a long time ago...but many of the stories said that they were sad...your mom was crying a lot...and your dad didn’t say a single word to anyone. He would even stare at the tracks with a gloomy look on his face before...well...he and your mom finally left,” I said.

“....I see,” Tweek whispered as he looked at the ground. “...You know...there’s a lot of things I wished I could have done while I was alive. I wished I graduated high school, that I went to college, become an actor like I dreamed...maybe find someone to marry...and maybe have a kid or two...maybe even a pet,” Tweek said. He looked like he was going to cry, “but I guess...that’s never going to happen...since I’m dead,” Tweek muttered. He became sadder and sadder as he hugged his legs tightly and looked ready to cry.

“....” I stood up and walked over towards him. I knew this wasn’t going to work since I’m pretty sure I could easily go through him, and I wasn’t sure if this was the right moment. Hell, I never did this before, not even when Clyde was being a crybaby. “...It’s okay,” I muttered before wrapping my arm around him, I wasn’t sure how close I should be without my arms going through him, so I just awkwardly hugged around him as best as I could. It felt like I was hugging the air at that moment. “It’s okay...it’s okay,” I repeated. Remembering how mom would repeat those words whenever Tricia was upset.

“....” I heard Tweek sniffling before I felt something cold around me. I didn’t realize until a few seconds later that Tweek was hugging me back. I guess it was possible for him, he did carry me home last night. “For a ten year old kid...you sure act mature,” Tweek said, “while I’m here...crying like a baby.”

“Eh...I’m used to it. You should see my friend Clyde, he cries almost everyday over the littlest things. I bet he’s crying right now since he’s probably grounded,” I said.

Tweek chuckled before leaned back and wiped his eyes. I guess ghosts can shed tears, who knew. “Hey...Craig…”

“Hm?”

“....I know this is a bit out of nowhere, but...do you want to be...friends?” Tweek asked, looking at me with a smile.

I stared at him, surprised. I mean...we only met last night, and he did scare me half to death, and he stayed in my closet, and I guess I did comfort him when he got sad just now. Did I really want to be friends with a ghost?

I stared at him, his green eyes looking into my eyes. I felt all warm inside, and I wasn’t sure what this feeling was. Maybe I felt bad for him, who knows? All I knew is...I didn’t want to leave him alone, I didn’t want him to be alone anymore.

I shrugged, “sure. Okay,” I said.

Tweek looked at me before smiling widely, “you really do say it so enthusiastically, don’t you?” Tweek chuckled.

I blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed. I know my tone wasn’t that enthusiastic, but I was actually thrilled that I’d be friends with ghosts. Maybe I can learn a lot of things about ghosts, and I could even make all my friends jealous. Hell...I know that if I showed Tweek to Cartman, he was going to be mad.

I cleared my throat and stood up tall, trying to make this serious as I could, “well...Tweek...since we’re friends, you have to do a couple of things for me,” I said.

“Okay...like what?” Tweek asked.

“For one thing, you have to stay by my side and not go anywhere without me,” I said, “you also have to stay hidden from mom, dad, and my sister. They’d freak if they saw you,” I said. “Not only that...but you have to at least...show me some cool ghost stuff and answer any questions I have, got it?”

“Um...sure, I don’t mind doing that,” Tweek smiled, “but to make things fair...you should also do something for me too,” Tweek said.

Ugh...I was really hoping I didn’t have to, but I guess I should make this fair. “Fine...what do you want?” I asked. I hope he wasn’t going to make me do anything embarrassing.

Tweek nodded, “well first things first...no showing me or talking about me to your friends or anyone,” Tweek said.

“Aw...come on,” I frowned.

“Sorry, but it was difficult enough letting myself be seen by you for this long. The only reason I did it was because you were hurt. All I wanted was to scare you and your friends away as to not bother me,” Tweek said, “so I’m sorry, but I’m not comfortable with...being seen by people...especially since someone could easily do something to harm me...or you since you’re involved now,” Tweek explained.

I thought about it...I guess that makes sense. Even if I showed Tweek to my friends, and I could trust them to keep it a secret, who knows what could happen. Besides...Clyde does tend to let a secret slip out of his mouth when he’s not thinking.

“Okay...I won’t tell anyone about you...but what do you expect me to tell the guys? They saw you last night,” I said.

Tweek shrugged, “I don’t know, you seem like a smart kid, I’m sure you can figure it out,” Tweek said.

I sighed. I guess I’ll have to think about what to tell everyone when I see them in school. “Anything else?”

Tweek smiled, “just one more thing,” Tweek said. He looked over my shoulder and smiled, “can I...play with your guinea pig?”

“....” I looked at him before smiling, “you like guinea pigs?”

“Well...I’m more of a bird person, but your guinea pig looks so cute,” Tweek said.

I crossed my arm and smiled proudly, “Stripe isn’t just cute, he’s also the coolest guinea pig ever!” I said.

Tweek smiled, “coolest, huh?” Tweek asked.

“Yeah! I’ll show you why he’s so cool!” I exclaimed. I rushed over and gently took Stripe from his cage, I then walked back, holding him in front of Tweek. “Stripe is so cool, he can stuff a lot of food in his cheeks, he’s very fast on his wheel, and he’s very brave! He loves climbing all over me and isn’t afraid of jumping off of my head and onto my hands! He’s so cool!” I exclaimed.

Tweek chuckled and smiled at me widely, “that’s interesting, Craig. Mind telling me more?” Tweek smiled. I looked at him, smiling. Tweek isn’t so bad after all.

I spent the rest of the day telling him about Stripe, talking about my favorite show, and any space facts that I know. It was fun and peaceful.

* * *

From then on, Tweek and I became close friends. He’s come with me to school, I’d tell him all the new things he never saw when he was alive, we’d talk in private about what we like and stuff about ourselves, and we’d just hang out.

At first, it was a bit difficult to talk, especially with so many people around. I didn’t want people thinking I’m a weirdo who talks to nothing. It also got hard to find time for us to hang out since I’m also spending time with my other friends. Tweek doesn’t seem to mind staying home and just waiting for me, but I felt bad that I was leaving him alone, especially since I’m the only one he can talk to.

In the end, I’d just have Tweek come with me to hang out with my friends, but he just stays invisible and not say a word, then when no one is looking or listening, I would always talk to Tweek to make sure he was alright.

“Hey, Tweek, you doing okay?” I whispered while I was walking behind my friends since we’re all heading to the local Mexican restaurant to get tacos.

“I’m doing fine, but is it really okay for me to just come with you and your friends?” Tweek asked.

Though I couldn’t see him, I can tell he was on the right side of me. I turned my head, making sure no one was looking, “I want you to come. There’s a lot of new stuff in town that I want to show you.”

“...Okay...thank you, Craig,” Tweek whispered.

“Hey Craig, remember when we went to the train tracks hoping to find that ghost?” Clyde asked.

I tensed up a bit, “yeah? Why?”

“Well...I heard that that place hasn’t been very active lately! A lot of people who went there to find the ghost kept saying they were there for hours, and saw nothing,” Clyde said, “and now...I’m just wondering if what we saw that night was...really a ghost or not,” Clyde said.

Token sighed, “it was obviously fake. Probably a teenager who dressed up as a ghost and was scaring us. They probably were working with those middle school kids that Cartman told us about,” Token said.

“Yeah, exactly. Besides, if the ghost was real, I wouldn’t be here, right? Since...you three left me?” I reminded them.

“We didn’t have a choice! I thought we were going to die!” Clyde exclaimed.

“W-w-we did a-a-apologize when you c-c-came back to s-s-school,” Jimmy said.

“I’m not accepting your apologies...unless...you pay for my tacos,” I said.

The guys sighed and said they’ll do it if that’ll get me to forgive them. I smiled and looked to my right. I could hear Tweek chuckling.

“You’re one ballsy kid,” Tweek whispered.

I smiled and continued walking with my friends, and the ghost that no one noticed.

Still, it seems without Tweek being at the tracks, people are starting to think the ghost wasn’t real at all, and was some sort of rumor or hoax. Tweek must be happy since sooner or later, people will stop coming to the tracks and leave Tweek alone whenever he has to go back to the train tracks.

It also took me a while to convince the guys that the ghost wasn’t real, much to Cartman’s argument and even trying to tell me to show my camera since it must have recorded something. It did...but I deleted it after Tweek and I agreed to be friends. I just told Cartman the camera was broken, and that there really wasn’t a ghost, just someone disguised as a ghost and was scaring us that night. I hated lying to my friends, but if it’s to keep Tweek safe, then I guess it’s fine.

Eventually, as time went on, things began to change. For me, I started to change physically. I was now starting middle school, I became taller, my voice kept cracking, my face was covered in pimples, and I had to wear braces since my teeth were far too jacked up. I felt embarrassed by my new appearance, and didn’t want to leave my house for the first day of school, but of course, Tweek was there to convince me otherwise.

“Okay, I know that this is a huge change, especially since you just graduated elementary school not too long ago, so transitioning to a more bigger school is terrifying. Hell, I remember how I was freaking out when I started middle school. ...So many wedgies.”

“W...wedgies?” I asked.

“Um...don’t worry, it was sort of a...Freshman welcoming type...thing that was made up by the older kids, I’m sure they don’t do that anymore. I mean...if they did...then our school system has truly failed,” Tweek said.

“....You really no one will make fun of my face?” I asked.

“You’ll be fine. Your mom bought you those acne care stuff, right?”

“Uh huh,” I said.

“Good, just keep using them everyday and your face will get better, same with your teeth. You only need to have them for a year, and your teeth will be fine. Trust me, this is all part of puberty and slowly becoming a man,” Tweek said.

“Okay...and does becoming a man really mean I’ll wake up with my thing standing up every morning, like in those sex ed videos they showed us?” I asked.

Tweek’s face blushed and he looked uncomfortable. “Uh...um...I...I guess so…” Tweek cleared his throat and tried to look calm, “if you do have any questions regarding...that...my best advice is to look up info online...or ask your dad,” Tweek said.

“What about you? You went through this before, right?”

Tweek blushed harder, “um...I’m not sure if I’m mentally prepared to give any advice on that. Hell...I died as a virgin, so I don’t even know anything about sex,” Tweek sighed. That’s when Tweek’s eyes widened, “oh! I almost forgot to tell you this!” Tweek leaned forward and placed his hands on my shoulder, though I couldn’t feel them. “Now...when you start middle school and your body starts to change, you might start looking at people...differently,” Tweek said.

“...What are you talking about?” I felt a bit uneasy about this.

Tweek sighed, looking also uncomfortable, “god...I never thought I’d have to say this...I mean...I knew I had to say it one day...especially since I thought I’d have kids of my own, but I’m dead...still seventeen...and I’m still not sure what to say really. Look, I’m just going to tell you some advice my dad gave me when he started giving me the ‘talk’,” Tweek said.

“The ‘talk?’” I asked.

Tweek nodded, “pretty much that...when your body starts changing, you’ll notice girls differently,” Tweek said.

“Differently?”

“Yeah, um...basically...girls will also have body changes, and to some...they might actually look more attractive to guys around your age. You’ll start having girls on your mind...and uh...oh...you’ll also start wanting to date girls,” Tweek said.

“....Gross,” I frowned. I never really like spending time with girls, probably since I spend way too much time with Tricia and being forced to play with her. The idea of being with a girl didn’t sit right with me.

“You might think that way now, but sooner or later...there’ll be a girl that catches your fancy,” Tweek said, “at least...that’s what my dad told me,” Tweek said.

“....Have you...find a girl that caught your fancy?” I asked.

Tweek’s eyes widened, he looked uncomfortable, scratching his chin, “um...well...not really...I mean...there were a few that caught my fancy...but...they weren’t...g-girls,” Tweek said.

I was confused at what he meant, “what do you-”

“Craig! Are you done yet? You’ll be late for your first day of school,” I heard mom calling.

“Coming!” I yelled back. I then turned towards Tweek, “I’m really nervous about this...you’ll be with me the entire time, right?” I asked.

Tweek looked at me before smiling, “of course, what are friends for. I’ll be there if you need any advice. I’ll be like a...talking book on...how to socialize in middle school! ...No wait...wouldn’t that make me more of a teacher instead of a book? Oh god...and who would want to have a talking book? Would they just say everything that was written inside of them? Why even have any writing in them if they can talk? Is it like one of those electronic book apps that reads the story to you? Then what about-”

“Tweek, you’re doing it again,” I sighed.

“Nnngg...s-sorry...sometimes...I tend to overthink about...a lot of things like that,” Tweek blushed embarrassingly. “Probably why I didn’t have a lot of friends back then,” Tweek sighed.

I snorted and started putting on my backpack, “come on, let’s head to school,” I said.

Tweek smiled, “coming!”

The moment we arrived at middle school, I realized that it really was different from elementary school. The building was bigger, the students were taller, and everyone looked different.

God, I was already a ball of nerves at this point.

“Just stay calm, Craig. You’re not even inside the building yet,” Tweek said, “look, it isn’t eight yet, so why not find your friends and see if you have the same classes as them. That will calm your nerves.”

“O-okay,” I gulped.

I headed inside and started walking around until I found my friends. Just like me, they also had a serious case of acne, though it seems Token only had a few noticeable red spots on his face. I walked over to them, and we all started talking.

“Man...this school is huge! How are we supposed to find our classrooms in there?” Clyde asked.

“They did provide us a map during orientation,” Token said, “so I’m sure we’ll be fine as long as we read the map.”

“B-by the way, w-what class do we have d-d-during the first period?” Jimmy asked.

We all took out our schedules and sighed in relief when we saw that we all pretty much have the same classes, though Jimmy had to take a different class to replace gym class.

“At least we’ll be together this year,” Clyde said.

“Yeah, thank god,” Token said.

“S-should we s-s-start looking for our class now?” Jimmy asked.

“Probably, we only have a few minutes before the first bell rings,” I said.

We all started walking around the hallways, looking at our maps to find our first class. As we were walking, we noticed a couple of older kids from the upper classes walking around. They looked really different.

“Wow...mom did tell me that girls develop there...but I never knew they could get that big,” Clyde said. “You think they drink a lot of milk?”

I then heard Tweek whispering into my ear, “does he always talk about chest so carelessly like that?”

I whispered back, “not that much. We have told him to shut up about it since we’re not really interested in that stuff.”

“Okay...but you might want to shut him up before he gets in trouble. Trust me, girls do not like it when guys talk about their breasts,” Tweek said.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, “hey Clyde, seen anything on TV that caught your interest lately?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.

Clyde lightened up, “oh yeah! There was this one show where the main guy was being so cool, he had the coolest looking hairstyle, a nice letterman jacket, and wore sunglasses wherever he went! So cool! Also, in one episode, he-” Just as we were walking, Clyde accidentally bumped into an older kid. “Oops, sorry!”

“Watch it, Freshman,” the guy said rudely.

I frowned, “he said he was sorry, didn’t hear him?” I sighed.

“I heard him, and a Freshman like him should watch where he’s going if he knows what’s good for him,” the guy said.

“No need to be a jerk,” I said, still frowning.

The older kid glared at me before pushing Clyde to the side and was now standing in front of me. “You talking back to me, Freshman?”

“No...I’m just stating how much of an asshole you’re being, fuck face,” I said.

The guys gasped, not expecting me to swear. I even heard Tweek telling me that him cursing was by accident and that I shouldn’t be cursing by using the same words he used by accident, especially at my age, but I didn’t care. The guy was being an asshole.

The guy glared at me before grabbing my collar, he looked ready to punch me, but suddenly, a teacher came by and noticed us.

“Excuse me, is something wrong here?”

“Oh, no sir, nothing is wrong here,” the older kid said before letting me go.

“Hm...well alright, but you boys better get to class, the bell is about to ring soon,” the teacher said, he then left.

The older kid glared at me before pushing me away, “you better hope I don’t see you again, Freshman.”

Me and the guys quickly rushed past the older kid and started walking away. “Tch...fucker,” I said.

“Dude...I can’t believe you actually cursed at him,” Clyde said.

“Yeah, if your parents heard you cursing, they’d probably ground you,” Token said.

I just shrugged, “meh...who cares. We’re big kids now, so what if we curse? We’ll eventually do it sooner or later, right?” I said, trying to make myself look mature in front of the guys.

“Craig...you promised…” I heard Tweek grumbling in my ear.

“....But...I guess I should keep from cursing too much...don’t want to make the teachers mad...I’ll just stick to flipping people off,” I said.

“That’s...not a good compromise, Craig...even if your family did teach you that themselves, something I never thought would actually happen,” I heard Tweek sighing.

I held back a chuckle and continued walking with my friends, ignoring the big bully from earlier. However, after a few minutes, I suddenly had a bad feeling. It was a feeling I usually get when I know something was off. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I tried to ignore it since I don’t really see anything that could go wrong. I tried to keep walking with my friends, but this gut feeling of mine was getting stronger and stronger.

Suddenly, we all heard someone screaming before a loud thud. We all turned around, and to our surprise, it was the asshole from earlier. He was on the ground, a trash can and trash were on top of him, and he looked completely stunned.

“What happened to him?” Someone said.

“I don’t know, it looked like he tripped?”

“Yeah, but he went flying back? It almost looked like someone pushed him.”

“No way, he wasn’t even near anyone aside from those guys over there, but they all had their backs facing them,” someone said.

I realized that they were talking about us. The guy was following us, probably planning on doing something to us, but then...he fell into the trash can somehow.

“....” I looked around, saw that everyone was too distracted by the jerk and why he suddenly fell, even my friends were curious at what happened. I slowly walked away from the crowd and stood somewhere they couldn’t see or hear me. “Tweek...did you do that?” I whispered, looking back at the jerk who was trying to stand up, but accidentally tripped on a banana peel.

“...I saw him following you guys, I noticed how he was reaching to grab your hat. I knew you liked your hat, and I wasn’t sure what he was going to do to it...so I just...pushed him.” Tweek said.

“...Thanks Tweek,” I said, smiling at him.

Tweek looked at me before smiling, “hey...no one hurts my little buddy and gets away from it...even if I was t-terrified myself,” Tweek said.

“Dude...you’re a ghost. If anything, people should be terrified of you,” I chuckled.

Tweek looked at me, thought about it, then formed a small smile, “I guess you’re right,” Tweek chuckled.

We continued to chuckle among ourselves, then at the jerk who was still having trouble getting up because of how much garbage was around him. Eventually, the bell rang, and everyone started leaving for their classes, including me and the guys. The jerk was left alone, still struggling to get up for nearly a minute.

Though I was still uncertain about growing up and these changes that adults and Tweek kept telling me about, I knew I’ll be fine as long as Tweek is by my side.

I guess growing up won’t be so bad.

* * *

High school life was pretty similar to middle school, though much harder and even more stressful than before. Kids were starting to find themselves, and usually, most of those kids either end up being assholes who only care about climbing the social ladder, people who like getting high in the restrooms, people who are actually decent, and people who are somewhere in between.

I’m not sure where I stand, not that I really give two fucks about it.

After my first two years of high school, I naturally became used to the whole being a teenager in the high school scene. I became more of the guy who gave doesn’t give two shits, I’d be openly straightforward to people and tell them how I really feel, I’d flip and curse people off way more than my teachers would ever approve with, and I’m more of the quiet kid who still dreams about space and guinea pigs.

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No,” I frowned.

“Please!?”

“For the love of god, Clyde, I said no,” I slammed my locker shut once I got all of my books I needed for class. “I will not go on a double date with you, some girl you managed to score a date with, let alone a girl I don’t even know,” I said.

“But Heather said that she’ll only go on a date with me if I bring you to our date so we can have a double date! Come on, Craig!” Clyde whined.

“I’m not doing it, Clyde, now fuck off,” I said.

“Come on, Craig! Just do me this solid! I can tell you that Heather’s friend isn’t bad looking or anything, she’s actually really nice and even said that she likes space and rabbits! You two could totally hit it off,” Clyde said.

“Clyde, if you really want to go on this double date, just ask someone else,” I sighed.

“I can’t. Token is taken, Jimmy is busy, Stan has that thing with Wendy, Kyle would rather study for an exam, I’m pretty sure Kenny is going out with Butters, and Cartman is...well...Cartman,” Clyde said.

I sighed and just stared at him blankly, “look, I’m not interested. Sorry, but you’re gonna have to tell them I’m not going and that I don’t care if that friend likes space and rabbits, which by the way is completely different from like guinea pigs. Sorry Clyde, but looks like you’re not going on this date,” I said.

“Oh come on! I finally managed to score a date with Heather and all she asks is for this one thing! She really wants you to go on this date with her friend since her friend has the hots for you,” Clyde said.

“I don’t even know her,” I said. “I don’t want to go out with some random chick I don’t care about, let alone barely know anything about. It would be way too awkward, even if she does like space or whatever,” I sighed.

“What’s all this arguing about, huh?” I nearly groaned when I saw Cartman walking over.

“None of your business,” I said.

“Hey Cartman, don’t you think a bro should help a bro out when they finally score a date with a girl he’s been after for a few months by at least going out with the girl’s friend on a double date?” Clyde asked.

“Clyde,” I frowned.

“Oh no, Clyde, Craig does have some rights here,” Cartman said.

“Huh?” Both Clyde and I asked, confused.

“Well it’s quite obvious why Craig isn’t interested in going to that date, and that’s because he’s not interested in girls at all,” Cartman snickered.

I frowned, realizing what he was talking about. “For fuck sake,” I sighed.

“Wait...Craig, is that true? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought you were my bro and bros tell each other everything,” Clyde exclaimed.

“Clyde, I do not have to tell you everything about me, especially what my sexuality is, and Cartman, you’re being an asshole by assuming what I am,” I sighed.

“Oh? So are you denying that you’re not gay?” Cartman asked.

Before I could say anything, the bell rang, and I really needed to get to class. “I don’t have time for your bullshit, Cartman. Clyde, I’ll see you later, and good luck finding a solution to your double date problem,” I said, “and quit asking me or else I’m blocking you from Instagram and Twitter,” I said.

I then left, ignoring all the stupid comments by Cartman as well as Clyde still begging me to help him out. I frowned, frustrated at the whole entire situation.

“You know...you should have just said yes to Clyde, and maybe then Cartman wouldn’t be making such accusations like that.”

I stopped and turned to my left, frowning, “seriously, Tweek? You’re telling me to go on that double date too?”

Tweek showed himself once there was no one around, he looked at me, looking concerned almost, “it’s not that I want to force you to do something you don’t want to do...I’m just worried that all this crap talk from Cartman might get to you one day. Maybe...it would be best to go on that date and prove Cartman wrong, just so you won’t be teased so much,” Tweek said, “after all, at this age, you’re more vulnerable by stuff like that.”

I rolled my eyes and let out a tired sigh, “Tweek, crap like that won’t bother me at all, you know that. I don’t want to go on that date, and whatever Cartman says about me, I don’t give two shits. Hell, I don’t give two shits if everyone in this school believes I’m gay,” I said.

“But what if that gets in the way of when you actually find a girl you like? They might think you’re gay and it’ll be harder and harder for you to date a girl,” Tweek said.

Already frustrated with this, I yelled back, “well maybe I don’t want to date a girl in the first place! Ever thought about that!?” I exclaimed. I was so pissed that I didn’t care if someone heard me. I just frowned and left, leaving Tweek to float there in shock and silence.

“...What!?” I heard Tweek yelling once I was a good distance away, but I was too pissed and embarrassed to really look back.

I wasn’t sure how I came to this realization to be honest. Maybe it was the fact that I never once saw girls interesting as a lot of people told me I would start feeling one day. I never felt anything when I saw girls both at school and out. I never once thought of myself doing any couple stuff with girls. I never once found myself wanting to hold a girl’s hand or kissing a girl. Even as my acne cleared up and my braces were taken out, and girls were finding me attractive in their eyes, I never once felt excited or happy about the fact. If anything, I found it a bit annoying and almost self-centered.

For years, I thought something was wrong since I never found it interesting whenever the guys talked about girls in the way they did, and I never understood why. It wasn’t until Kenny told everyone during lunch that he liked Butters.

We were all confused until Kyle asked if he was gay. He shook his head and said he was pansexual, but did find Butters to be attractive and he couldn’t help but like Butters. We weren’t sure if he and Butters were dating at that point, but at this moment, there have been rumors and small hints of them being close, so it was possible.

Ever since Kenny admitted to liking Butters, I started questioning myself. I was sure I wasn’t pansexual or bisexual since I was never attracted to girls in general, so I started thinking about the same sex. When I started thinking about it, I realized that yes, I have been thinking about boys more often, that yes, I hung out with guys a bit more, and yes...I am a fan to male actors way more than female actresses.

After searching things up and thinking it over, I came to the realization that maybe...I was gay. Of course, I never really confirmed it since I still never found anyone I was interested in dating quite yet, but as I thought more and more about it...I thought that this conclusion that I was gay was more fitting for me.

Still, I haven’t really told anyone about it quite yet. Even if I do confirm that I was gay, I wasn’t really sure how to tell everyone. I didn’t know how to tell my friends, my parents, hell...I didn’t even know how to tell Tweek.

Well...until now.

“How couldn’t you tell me you were gay! I thought I was your best friend! You’re supposed to tell your friends these things if you want me to support you all the way!” Tweek exclaimed.

We were currently sitting in my room. I was busy trying to do my history homework, and Tweek has been doing nothing but yelling and panicking since we got home from school. It was kinda funny seeing him react like that, but now...it was getting tiring.

“I don’t need to justify myself, hell...I’m not one hundred percent sure I’m gay since I’ve never really been interested in dating any guy at school,” I said.

“But you do know that you sorta like guys more than girls, right?” Tweek asked.

“....Mmmm...yeah...I guess,” I said.

“Then that makes you gay!” Tweek exclaimed, he blushed and toned it back down a bit, “and it’s perfectly fine.”

“I know it’s fine, Tweek. Hell, I know it’s fine for you since you’re technically gay,” I said.

Tweek’s face went completely red, “how did you find out!?”

“Dude, you told me since middle school, and there were so many hints. Remember the first week of high school and how you refused to go anywhere near the locker rooms and said you’d rather stay outside?” I said.

Tweek blushed, “I just think it would be kinda...creepy that a ghost was in the boy’s locker room when almost everyone is half naked most of the time,” Tweek muttered.

“Uh huh,” I rolled my eyes.

“That is a valid reason, Craig! Nnnggg,” Tweek pulled his hair and then let out a tired sigh, “...so...now what? Are you going to date someone?” Tweek asked.

“....” I thought about it before, but I felt it would be too much of a bother, especially since I’d be leaving Tweek behind. “Nah...I don’t think so. Dating seems overrated,” I said.

“Over...what? You can’t be serious, Craig. Don’t you ever want to...I don’t know...hold someone’s hand? Tell them everything about yourself? Feel all warm and cozy inside? And feel like you can trust someone with your life?” Tweek said.

“That sounds...a bit of an over-exaggeration, Tweek,” I sighed. I put down my pencil, thinking I should take a break from homework. “Look, it’s fine if I’m not interested in dating some dude right now. Besides...there’s not a lot of guys I actually like at school you know, so my options are kinda limited here,” I said.

“Hmm...I guess you’re right. When you live in a town this small, there isn’t a lot of people who are gay,” Tweek sighed.

“Exactly,” I sighed.

“Still...don’t you think you should...I don’t know...tell your parents about this? You wouldn’t want to keep this a secret forever,” Tweek said.

“....It’ll take some time...but...I’ll tell them...eventually,” I said. I sighed, leaning back in my chair, “how was it when you told your parents?” I asked.

“....I...never really got the chance to,” Tweek said.

“Why not?”

“...Because I was too scared of what they’ll think. They were so busy with work, I didn’t want to add the stress of the fact that their only son was...gay,” Tweek said.

“...Hey,” I sat up straight and looked at him, “I know it’s hard, and not everyone is going to be accepting, but times are changing, and if your parents really love you, they’d accept you for who you are, regardless of what your sexuality is. So even if you weren’t able to tell them, at least remember that they still love you, and I bet they’d take a gay son than a son who can’t be with them anymore,” I said.

“....” Tweek looked down, looking like he was going to cry. He then looked at me and smiled, “thanks, Craig.”

“...No problem,” I said. “....” I looked at my homework and started thinking. “....Fuck it,” I sighed as I stood up.

“W-what are you doing?” Tweek asked, confused.

“Taking what we just talked about into consideration. I guess I better tell everyone now and not procrastinate much longer. Besides...I think I’d rather tell my parents I’m gay than doing my homework,” I said. I started leaving my room.

“Wait...wait! You can’t just tell them all of a sudden! You should build it up! Give them time! There’s a process to these kinds of things, Craig! Craig!”

In the end, I told everyone thanks to Tweek’s support. It was a bit awkward at first, but eventually everyone accepted it. It took my dad a while to get used to it, that’s for sure, but he eventually accepted it and showed his support for me. Tweek was very proud of me, even if he was the one panicking in the beginning.

High school life was a bit different after that. The good news was that girls weren’t even trying to ask me out on a date, but the bad news was that girls were starting to have weird ideas about me. I swear...I’ll never understand girls. But I guess I don’t need to...since I’m more into guys...but the problem with that is that...there aren’t a lot of gay kids in school.

“What about Tyler?”

“Nah...he does this weird thing with his hair, and I’m not into that.”

“Jake?”

“I’m pretty sure he’s taken.”

“Austin?”

“Dating Jake.”

“Barry?”

“No, since Barry is a gransgendered guy and likes girls,” I said.

“Well that’s everyone on the list,” Tweek sighed, “ugh! We’ll never find you a prom date!” Tweek exclaimed.

“Who cares? I’ll just go to prom with my friends. We’ll all just go as a group,” I said.

“But won’t it be awkward since all of your friends have someone to go with? Clyde has Bebe, Token has Nichole, and Jimmy even got a date with Annie,” Tweek said. “You’ll basically be the...one...two...three….s-seventh wheel!” Tweek said.

“Seventh wheel? Really?” I asked.

“Well I can’t say third wheel since there’s like...seven of you here, so...shut up,” Tweek blushed.

I sighed and just leaned back in my bed, “why do I even have to go to prom to begin with? Seems stupid,” I said.

“Well didn’t Clyde beg you to go?” Tweek asked, sitting next to me.

“Yeah, well...Clyde begs me to go to a lot of things,” I said.

“True...but you didn’t seem to hesitate when he asked like you normally do,” Tweek pointed out.

“....Shut up,” I sighed.

Tweek chuckled, “face it, Craig...even you want to go to prom,” Tweek said. “Besides...prom is like...some sort of ritual that all teens have to do before they graduate! It’s like the biggest night and everything.”

“....But...you never went to prom...did you?” I asked.

“...No...not really, but...I heard that it was quite fun from the seniors when I was still alive, so...there’s that,” Tweek smiled sadly.

“...” I sighed, “alright...alright...I’ll go with...Tyler,” I sighed.

Tweek smiled, “changed your mind?”

I frowned, “I’m only doing this for you since I also want you there with me,” I said.

Tweek looked surprised, “I mean I know I’ll be going with you, but it’s not like I’ll be doing much since...no one can see me,” Tweek said.

“Yeah...well...I still want you there with me,” I said. I felt my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. “I think I’ll feel better about going to this dumb prom with Tyler if you’re there with me.

“...Yeah...okay,” Tweek smiled.

“Great...now comes the hardest part,” I sighed as I grabbed my phone.

“Who are you texting?”

“Tyler to see if he’s available to go to prom with me,” I said, scrunching my face with every word I type.

Tweek sat there, patting me on the back, “be strong, Craig. Be strong.”

So on the night of prom, I was meeting with Tyler at the gym where prom was being held. I was a bit nervous, yet also not really liking the idea of going to prom with Tyler. I swear, if he does that weird thing with his hair tonight, I’m bailing.

“Ugh...I hope he gets here soon. I want this to be over already,” I sighed.

“Just be patient, Craig. You should be happy that Tyler even accepted your invite, especially with your reputation,” Tweek chuckled.

“Yeah well I kinda wish he rejected it so I wouldn’t have to go through with this. I just wish I came here with someone I actually felt comfortable with,” I sighed.

“.....You know what? Why don’t you head inside and have some fun for your friends for a bit?” Tweek suggested.

“I have to wait out here for Tyler, remember?” I said.

“I’m sure he’ll know to meet with you inside,” Tweek smiled.

“Okay...I guess it beats staying out in the cold. Come on,” I said, opening the door.

“Um...I actually want to check something out on my own for a bit. I noticed the trophy case inside, and I’ve always been curious whether or not the trophies from when I was still alive are in there,” Tweek said.

“Since when do you care about sports trophies? You never even joined any sports team when you were alive,” I said.

“I know...let’s just say...sentimental and nostalgia,” Tweek smiled.

“Okay...well don’t keep me waiting for too long. I’m not sure how long I can stand seeing Clyde doing the shuffle on the dancefloor,” I said, noticing the guys surrounding Clyde.

“I’ll be quick. Have fun,” Tweek said before leaving.

I wasn’t sure why he suddenly wanted to see the school’s trophies, but I didn’t want to stop him. If that makes him happy, so be it. I started heading inside and joined my friends, continuing to wait for Tyler to show up. After about twenty minutes, I checked the time and saw that Tyler was running a bit late, which was odd since he pretty much lives close.

“Ugh, if that jerk stood me up, I swear...I’m going to shave off all of his stupid hair,” I grumbled.

“Oh? Is Craig angry that his date isn’t here?” Cartman chuckled.

“Shut up, fat ass. You came here alone, remember?” I said.

“I came to make sure that skank, Heidi, realized that she made a poor choice coming here with Kyle,” Cartman said.

“Dude, Heidi dumped you after you’ve been nothing but horrible to her while she was being nice to you. Of course she dumped you,” Stan said.

“Fuck off, Stan,” Cartman grumbled, “at least I came here alone because I chose to, Craig here is alone because his date stood him up,” Cartman said.

Before I could tell Cartman to shut up, we heard someone talking. “Sorry I’m late, Craig!” We all turned around and saw Tyler running towards us. I was surprised by how well he was dressed and how neatly combed his hair was. He looked different from how he normally looks. “I was busy getting ready, and I guess I lost track of time.”

“Uh...it’s fine,” I said, he was talking differently too. Usually, he didn’t care if he was late or not. He was the sloppy type of guy after all. “You look...surprisingly nice,” I said.

Tyler smiled, “and you look handsome in that suit,” Tyler said, chuckling.

I was surprised, I stared at him for a minute, wondering why he was laughing, let alone smiling. This was really odd, especially since he wasn’t exactly the nicest guy towards me, even if he accepted my invite.

“Uh...thanks?” I said.

The music suddenly changed and everyone started dancing. Tyler suddenly offered me his hand, and I hesitantly took it. We walked towards the dancefloor, and I could tell something was off right away.

For one thing, Tyler hated dancing. Hell, I hate dancing, which is why I expected us to not dance at all tonight. What the fuck was going on here?

“Dude, something up with you or something?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” Tyler asked.

“For one thing...you’re being nice to me...something you don’t normally do,” I said.

“Well I did say yes to your invite, didn’t I?” Tyler chuckled.

“Well yeah...but after you were late for nearly thirty minutes, I half expected that you only accepted because you were just gonna not show up the entire time,” I said.

“I would never do that to you, Craig...and whatever jerk does that doesn’t deserve a wonderful guy like you.”

“Wonderful guy like me?” I raised an eyebrow, “you don’t even know anything about me,” I said.

“Of course I do, Craig. I know a lot of things about you...ever since we first met. How you love space, how you love guinea pigs, how you love Red Racer. How you’re always straightforward with your words, how you tell people how it is, how you’re not afraid to show people what you really think, and how...in your own way...are a nice and good person.”

“....” The way he was speaking, it sounded familiar, but it was definitely something that Tyler would never say.

“You’re always being yourself, and you’ve helped people so much...especially someone like me who...wasn’t able to have a lot of things while I was alive…”

My eyes widened. “Was alive?” What does he mean? I looked at Tyler and finally noticed something was off with his eyes. They weren’t brown...they were...green.

“You’re my best friend...my only friend...I’m so happy that we met that night. I didn’t feel so alone anymore.”

“....Tweek?”

Tyler...no...Tweek smiled, “surprise.”

The music ended and everyone was now talking among themselves. Once there wasn’t anyone around, I grabbed Tweek’s or...Tyler’s hand and started pulling him outside. I heard a couple of people whistling at us, but I ignored them and reached for the door.

Once we were outside, I turned towards Tweek, confused. “What is this?” I asked.

Tweek stood there, looking embarrassed, “uh...well...I may have left to make sure Tyler was coming, but as I was looking around the school, I realized that he wasn’t even nearby...so I went to his house, found him in his room, playing video games, and doing that weird thing with his hair...and I realized he wasn’t going to show up. Since I didn’t want you to get upset...I possessed him, made him change his clothes, tell his parents he was going to prom after all, and here I am...in Tyler’s body...pretending to be Tyler,” Tweek explained.

“...But why? Why go through all that? I wouldn’t have cared if he didn’t show or not,” I sighed.

“But you would have cared...at least a little,” Tweek said. “I know I’d be mad if someone stood me up, and I know this might be weird...but...I wanted you to have fun, Craig. Prom is meant to be fun...not to be alone and felt like no one cares about you,” Tweek said.

“Tweek...I don’t care if I’m alone on prom...because...I do have people that care about me. I have my friends, my family, Stripe...and you,” I said, “hell...the only reason I came to prom is because...I wanted you to have fun, not just me.”

“What?” Tweek looked surprised. “But I...I’m a ghost, remember? I wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

“Which is why I was going to tell you to take over my body and pretend to be me and hang out with my friends. I wanted you to have fun since you never got to go to prom. I wanted you to enjoy something you never got a chance to do.”

“But...but Craig...why would you do that for me?”

I smiled as I placed my hands on his shoulders, “because...I care about you. You’ve been with me since I was ten, showed me a lot of cool ghost stuff like how you could levitate things and even push people away when someone is trying to harass me. You’re a good guy, and I’m surprised no one saw how much of a nice person you are. You deserve to be happy and have fun, Tweek. Not just me,” I said.

“....Craig…” Tweek had tears in his eyes as he started to cry, “nngg...t-thank you...thank you,” Tweek said before he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly.

I chuckled as I patted him on the back, “come on...it’s not that serious...it’s just prom,” I said, but hugged him back.

“....I love you, Craig,” Tweek whispered.

“....” I looked down, feeling my heart beating fast. At first, I thought he meant love as in he loved me like you would love a friend or family, but the way he said it...I realized he meant something else. “...I love you too, Tweek.”

We pulled back and stared at each other. When I looked at Tweek in Tyler’s face, I began to chuckle, realizing that I was more hugging Tyler than I was hugging Tweek.

“This is really weird,” I said.

“Uh...yeah...kinda…” Tweek said.

“Do you still want to participate in prom?” I asked.

“Honestly...it’s nice when we dance, but doesn’t seem like there’s much to it. I’m glad I got to do it, but I think I’d like to go home and watch some Red Racer,” Tweek said.

I smiled, “sure...but before we leave...I have one thing to do,” I said.

“Oh yeah? What’s-” I leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips. I pulled back and chuckled when I saw how red Tweek’s face was...or should I say...Tyler’s face was. “You...I...mmm...nnngg…” Tweek stammered.

I pulled back, stretched my arms, and turned my back towards him, “come on, let’s go home...but first...let Tyler go. I’m not sure how this possession stuff works, but if he’s still awake in there, he’s probably freaking out, and I’d be embarrassed if he realized I kissed his lips,” I said.

“Um...yeah...don’t worry...he’s knocked out cold, I made sure of it. He won’t remember a thing,” Tweek said before he started letting Tyler go. “There…”

Tyler’s body dropped the ground, and Tyler let out a groan. “Ugh...where am I?” Tyler said before closing his eyes on the ground.

“...Should we...do something about this?” Tweek asked.

“....Nah...the douche stood me up, so…” I shrugged and started walking. I stopped and looked back at Tweek, “well?” I asked, holding out my hand.

“....” Tweek stared at me then at my hand. His face went red but he slowly grabbed my hand with his. It was really cold, but I didn’t mind it.

I smiled at him, and he smiled back at me, “let’s go home.”

“Yeah…” Tweek said.

We went home together with new feelings in the air. It was weird...but at the same time...it felt...right.

I soon graduated from high school, and will be continuing my life as an adult. However...I wouldn’t be doing it alone. Tweek stayed by my side the entire time.

* * *

Life with Tweek has been full of fun and enjoyable moments. Though no one knew about Tweek, or the fact that he was with me the entire time, it felt like our own little secret, something that kept us bonded for so long.

I showed Tweek many things he missed when he was alive, and he was always happy and grateful for what I’ve done for him. All I ever wanted was to keep Tweek happy because...well...I love him...and he loved me. I wanted Tweek to see the world, something he wasn’t able to see. I wanted to show Tweek that there was someone that cared about him, and that someone was going to be me.

However...I noticed something was changing with Tweek. He wasn’t floating that high anymore, he also seemed to be fading a lot. A part of me wondered if Tweek was getting sick. Do ghosts even get sick? Was that even possible?

I was worried, worried that something was wrong with him, but...we both soon realized what this really meant.

“...I think it’s my time,” Tweek said.

“...Oh…”

“...Aren’t you going to say something?” Tweek asked.

“...What...what should I say?” I asked, my back was towards him.

“I don’t know...that maybe you don’t want this? That...maybe this isn’t what’s really happening? That...this wasn’t happening at all? Something like that?”

“Well yeah...I could say that...but we both know that what’s happening here is...exactly what’s happening,” I said.

“....” Tweek sighed, “I guess...it’s more that I don’t want this to happen,” Tweek said.

I looked at him before looking down. I walked over and wrapped my arms around him. It was strange how I changed while he didn’t. Originally when we met, he was taller than me and would crouch down to hug me, but now...I was taller than him, much older too. I never realized that while I’m changing...Tweek wasn’t.

“This sucks…” I said.

“...I know…” Tweek said, “but...I guess this is how it’s supposed to be. I got to see everything I wanted to see. I got to have a friend...a boyfriend...I got to go to prom...I got to see the world...and I was able to help you when you needed it. I guess I fulfilled what I wanted to do...so there isn’t anything else left for me to do,” Tweek said, hugging me tightly.

“....If that was true...you’d have vanished much sooner,” I said.

“W-what do you mean?” Tweek asked.

“I think...we’re not done yet…” I said. “I think there’s still one more thing you want to do,” I said.

“Uh...like what?” Tweek asked.

“You know what,” I said.

“I really do-”

“Tweek,” I said sternly.

“....” Tweek looked down, “how would this even work? They wouldn’t be alright with seeing me like...this,” Tweek said.

“I know it’s hard...but...they should at least see their son one last time and give him a proper goodbye. That’s what all parents want to do when they lose a child...and I know you wanna give them that chance,” I said.

“....I don’t even know where they are,” Tweek said.

I looked at him, and smiled, “well it’s a good thing I have the internet and searching for people isn’t really that hard, especially if those people run a business,” I said.

“....Are we really going to do this? Meet my parents?” Tweek asked.

“Of course, how else will you be able to move on if you’re stuck here?” I said as I grabbed my laptop and started typing away.

“...But then...you’d be alone...and we wouldn’t be together,” Tweek said.

I froze. I stared at the screen of my laptop blankly, feeling my heart ache, “....I know…”

“...Won’t you miss me?”

“....Of course I will. I’d miss you everyday...I might even start crying knowing you’re not there with me,” I said. “...But...I also know you can’t stay here forever. You’ve been here too long...and who knows how that’ll affect your head. I want you to be at peace...I want you to be happy...even if I’m not there with you anymore,” I said.

“What about you? What about your happiness?” Tweek asked.

“....As long as you’re okay and happy wherever you go, I’ll be happy,” I looked at him smiling.

“....” Tweek looked down for a bit. He looked at me before nodding his head, “okay...then...let’s go meet my parents,” Tweek said.

I nodded and got to work. “...Just...promise me when you leave...you’ll wait for me.” It took all my strength to search up Tweek’s parents.

“....I will. I promise.”

After finding out where Tweek’s parents were, I quickly took a couple days off from work and started driving to where Tweek’s parents were. Surprisingly, they didn’t live too far away from South Park, so I was able to get there in less than an hour.

When I found the house I was looking for, I walked towards the front door and rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, the door opened, and I saw this old man, his hair graying a bit, and he looked extremely tired.

“Yes? Can I help you?”

“Hi, are you...Mr. Tweak?” I asked.

“Yes...do I know you?” Mr. Tweak asked.

“No...you don’t...but uh...I knew your son,” I said.

Mr. Tweak’s eyes widened, “you knew my son, Tweek?”

“Yeah...I do...and I uh...I came to talk to you about him,” I said.

“Honey? Who is it at the door?” A woman spoke. An old woman came to the door, looking just as tired as Mr. Tweak. I realized that this was Mrs. Tweak. “Oh are you, dear?”

“This young man says he knew Tweek,” Mr. Tweak said.

“Tweek? You knew our son? Oh, could you please tell us everything about him? It’s been years since we talked about him, and it’s nice to know that he had a friend. Tell us, has Tweek been kind to you? Was he a sweet boy as I remember?”

I looked at her before smiling, “why don’t you ask him yourself?” I said. I took a step to the side and looked to my right, “come on...I can’t be the only one that knows you’re still here. It’s time to be brave,” I said.

“....Okay…” At first, Mr. and Mrs. Tweak were confused, but when they saw their seventeen year old son standing right before them, their eyes widened and tears were in their eyes. “Hi mom...hi dad...it’s me...Tweek.”

“Tweek…”

“....My baby,” Mrs. Tweak rushed over and tried to hug her son, but her hands went through him. The Tweaks looked surprised and looked at each other.

“Sorry...nothing I can do about that...but I can hug you if that’s better?” Tweek smiled, tears in his eyes.

The Tweaks looked at their son before smiling, allowing their son to hug them instead. I just stood to the side, a smile formed on my face. I was happy, and yet...the aching in my chest wouldn’t go away.

I knew that after this...this would be the last time I’ll see Tweek.

After Tweek and his parents caught up and had a long chat, it was time for Tweek to go, especially since he was starting to fade more and more. Tweek said his goodbyes, and the Tweaks said theirs. They cried the entire time as Tweek started heading back to the car.

I was about to head back, but Mr. Tweak stopped me, “...thank you.”

“....” I didn’t say anything, I just nodded and left for the car. Once I was in the car, I looked ahead, not wanting to look at Tweek.

“Craig…”

“....”

“Craig...look at me…”

I stared at the steering wheel for a bit before I used up all my energy to look back at Tweek. To my surprise, Tweek leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. Tears were running down his cheeks as he looked at me with a sad look.

“Thank you...thank you for everything,” Tweek sniffled as he tried to wipe the tears away, but they kept flowing out. “I’m sorry...I'm sorry that I’m leaving you...I’m so sorry…” Tweek cried.

“...Come on...don’t be a crybaby. I already have Clyde for that,” I smiled. “Besides...this isn’t forever...you promise to wait for me...didn’t you?”

“...Craig…”

“Let’s make a new promise...and that promise is that...you’ll keep waiting for me until we meet again. So don’t cry...and be happy. You got to do everything you wanted to do...so be happy, Tweek. Be happy,” I smiled.

“....” Tweek’s tears kept falling as he continued to fade more and more. “I’ll always love you,” Tweek said.

I looked at him and smiled, “me too,” I said.

Tweek smiled and leaned forward to kiss me on the forehead, I soon couldn’t see him anymore, but I did hear his final words to me.

“Goodbye Craig. Live a long and good life.”

After about a few minutes, it was silent in my car. I turned back around, staring ahead. I made no attempt to leave quite yet, the pain in my chest was growing too much. I felt something dripping down my cheek, and I soon realized that I was crying. I sniffled and wiped my eyes as I just sat there, crying hard. It hurt...it really hurt that Tweek...my best friend...and the only person I love is gone, but deep down...I knew this wasn’t forever. I knew that Tweek would wait for me, and I’ll be waiting for him.

“I will...Tweek...I will,” I whispered, taking a deep breath. “Goodbye Tweek,” I said.

I soon started the car once I calmed down and started making my way home. It would take some time getting used to being alone now, but I knew that wherever Tweek was...he’ll be watching me, and he’ll be happy. I smiled and continued on with my life, having these memories in my heart.

So Tweek...I hope you’re happy now. We’ll meet again one day, just wait for me.

**_The End._ **


End file.
